Album Notes

Ten years ago, Ann McNamee retired as a Professor of Music Theory at Swarthmore College in order to pursue a new career as a songwriter and performer. That debut album (Space In Your Arms) featured Ann on vocals and piano and Eric McFadden on guitar (Eric McFadden Trio, Bo Diddley, Keb’ Mo’, Living Colour, Les Claypool, George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, and many others).

Fast-forward a decade, and Ann and Eric are performing together again as members of Ann Atomic. These two Bay Area musicians are joined by another Bay Area local, Jon Evans, on bass (graduated from Berklee College of Music, recorded and performed with Tori Amos, Linda Perry, Paula Cole, and Alex Digrassi), as well as Curt Bisquera and Roger Love from Los Angeles. Curt Bisquera (drums and percussion) has recorded and/or toured with Bonnie Raitt, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Nelly Furtado, and Johnny Cash. Roger Love (vocals and keyboard) is one of the premier vocal coaches in America and has worked with John Mayer, Gwen Stefani, Jeff Bridges, the Jonas Brothers, and Reese Witherspoon, as well as many other notable singers, actors, and television personalities.

Ann McNamee's portfolio of over 200 songs offers a fresh perspective on relationships and the ever-changing world. Her lyrics and melodies showcase her willingness to be touched, along with a wry acknowledgement of the joys and pains of living. Her Wellesley College B.A. and Yale Ph.D. in Music Theory demonstrate that she knows about the rules she's breaking. Influenced by such diverse masters as Carole King, Lennon and McCartney, Bob Dylan, Elton John, the Velvet Underground, and Igor Stravinsky, Ann composed for and sang with the Flying Other Brothers Band from 1999 to 2006. She currently writes, sings, and tours with the popular San Francisco band Moonalice, led by her husband Roger McNamee.

Ann Atomic is honored to be performing as part of the Lilith Fair tour — at The Gorge in Washington state on July 3rd, at Shoreline near San Francisco on July 5th, and at Comcast Center near Boston on July 30th.